Tension means for wire stitching machines



Dec. 12, 1950 A. F. FISCHER TENSION MEANS FOR WIRE STITCHING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1949 INVENTOR. EFificiier Dec. 12, 1950 A. F. FISCHER 2,533,782

TENSION MEANS FOR WIRE STITCHING MACHINES Filed Feb. 4, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y W 2/ 9 9 4 5 L177" INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENSION MEANS FOR WIRE STITCHING MACHINES ArnoldFQFisc'her, New York, N. Y.

Application February 4, 1949, Serial No. 74, 658

"3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved Wire tension means fora wire stitching machine.

An object of this invention is to provide in a wire stitching machine an improved tension means for maintaining the wire taut, and including an improved brake which is normally inoperative when the wire is taut but which will automatically become operative when the wire becomes loose to a predetermined degree.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved tension means in the form of an attachment which can be mounted on various types of wire stitching machines, and which includes an improved bracket or reel holder for holding a reel capable of receiving various sizes of wire rolls, such as the reel embodied in my application for Reel filed of even date herewith.

A furtherobject of this invention is to provide a tension means of this kind wherein the tension can be closely adjusted so that the brake can'be made effective when the tension of the wire relaxes to a predetermined degree to thereby prevent the wire on the reel from becoming loose or snagging.

Still another object of this inventionis to provide an attachment for a wire stitching or stapling machine of the type having intermittent action, whereby a wire supply reelor drum will have the wire'thereof feeding into the machine under tension at all times while the drum or reel is held against rotation and whereby under a pull of said wire into said machine beyond the pull required to feed a predetermined stitch or staple length of said wire the drum will be released from a band brake associatedtherewitlrior rotation of the drum sufficient to draw oil the next stitch or staple length of wire and whereby after said draw 01T of wire, the brake will automatically be reset fora repeat of the operation.

A further important object of this invention is to provide for a wire stitching machine having intermittent action, a rotatable wire supply reel, a brake drum on the reel for control-ling the rotary motion of the reel, a mounting bracket for the reel, a pivoted resilient partially arcuate'wire guide and tension means, for guiding-wire thereover and over above the reel mounted on said bracket to one side of the reel a brake hand extending around the brake drum for the greater portion of the periphery of the drum, one end of the band fastened to the bracket, means fastening the other end to an intermediate non-bending portion of the guide, the guide having a sexible arcuate resilient portion, and relatively to the latter a non-resilient portion, the resilient arcuate portion ilexing by pull of the wire thereon, sufiicient to release a predetermined stitch length of wire without releasingthe brake and the entire guide adapted to pivot to release the brake band 'on a further predetermined pulling action of the wire in the feeding thereof for free rotation of the drum, and spring means acting on the non-resilient portion for instantly setting the brake during "each action of release of tension on the wire.

As used herein it will be understood thatthe term wire is intended to'be generic as arealso the expressions Wire-stitching and wire stapling.

A further objectof this invention is to provide a "tension means for a wire stitching machine which can be used with various gauges of wire and various sizes of Wire "rolls.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more par-- ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a wire tensioning means constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, showing the tension means in relaxedpositio'n and mounted ona wire stitching machine, the latter being broken away,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the device,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3--"3 ofFigure '2,

Figure 4 is a detail front "elevation, partly broken away, of the lower end of the tension means.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral f0 designates generally "a wire stitching machine of conventional construction, and the numeral H designates generally a supporting bracket "for the wire tension means to be hereinafter described. The bracket ll includes a base I2 which is adapted to be secured by fastening means 13 to the upper portion it of the wire stitching machine I'D.

The base l2 includes an upstanding arm or support It on which is rotatably mounted a wire holding-reel IS. The reel I5 is rotatably carried by a shaft ll fixed by fastening means 1-8 to the upper end of'the arm l5. port Ii also includes a horizontally disposed arm Is on the outer end of which is ro'chabiy mounted a block 20. The block 20 is disposed in upright The bracket or sup 3 position and is pivotally mounted at its lower end portion on a pivot member 21 secured to the arm IQ. An elongated longitudinally bowed wire tensioning spring or strap 22 is fixed to the outer side of the block 20, extending upwardly and inwardly toward the reel lb. The wire W which is being drawn from the reel it extends over the upper channeled end 23 of the strap 22 and then is passed through a series of guide loops 24 which are fixed to the strap 22.

r The arm it includes a laterally extending body 25 forming a housing within which a spring-pressed plunger 25 is slidably mounted, the body 25 being formed with a bore 21. spring 28 is disposed in the bore 21, hearing at one end against the plunger 26 and at the other end against a spring tensioning screw 29 which is threaded into the inner end of the bore 21.

The plunger 25 bears against the inner side of the block 2t and is adapted to swing this block outwardly when tension of the wire W is relaxed.

The arm 59 has fixed thereto a stop member 3b against which the block 26 is adapted to engage to thereby limit the outward movement of the block 2! The reel it includes an annular brake drum 35 about which an elongated flexible brake band 32 is adapted to engage. One end of the'band 32 is anchored to a pin 33 secured to an upwardly offset part 3 of the arm l5, and the other end of the band 3'2 extends downwardly and outwardly and is secured to a fitting 35 which includes a threaded bolt 36.

The block 23 hassecured thereto an angularly disposed plate or arm 3! and a second threaded bolt 38 extends through the arm or plate 3?. A turnbuckle 39 is threaded onto the two bolts 36 and 38 and is adapted to be locked in adjusted position by means of a lock nut d9.

In the use and operation of this invention, the reel It is filled with a roll of wire for use in the wire stitching machine It. As the wire W is drawn from the reel 16, the tensioning member 22 will be drawn downwardly toward the reel i6, maintaining the wire W trained through loops 2 and channel 23 substantially taut. In the event the wire W should become slack to a more or less degree the loops 24 restrain it from becoming entangled, the tensioning member 22 will swing upwardly andas tensioning member 22 swings upwardly to apredetermined degree, block 29 will also rock outwardly under the spring tension of spring-pressed plunger 2%. As block rocks outwardly, the brake band 32 will be drawn tightly about the brake drum 3|, thereby preventing rotation of the reel IS in an unwinding direction. As soon as the wire W is again drawn substantially tight and the free upper end of the tensioning member 22 is drawn downwardly to a position relatively close to the reel l 6, the wire stitching machine may be operated in a conventional manner and the wire which is being drawn from the reel [6 will be prevented from tangling due to the directed path of travel provided by loops 2% and channel 23 for the tightly wound wire as it is withdrawn at various angles from reel 58 allowed to rotate in an unwinding direction. This wire tensioning means has been designed for use as an attachment to wire stitching machines, being substituted for the present wire tensioning means, and it will be understood that the bracket H may be shaped in any suitable mann r to provide for'the' ill 4 the device the successive steps of operation previously mentioned are provided. In the operation the steps comprise, first, flexing the strap' member 22 to dispense a length of wire corre sponding to a stitch or staple without releasing brake band 32; second,upon further'tensioning oi the strap member the compression of spring 21 to release the brake band permitting a partial rotation of reel or drum It to feed sumcient wire for a further stitch or staple; next, upon the release of tension by the cutting of the wire a whip-like snap back of the member 22 to eilectively clamp the brake band 32 about its associated drum; and finally upon the reapplication of tension to strap 22 a flexing or bending thereof as previously mentioned to provide sufficient wire for a further stitch or staple without release of the brake until the tension on strap 22 is increased.

The tensioning means and reel embodied in this invention will provide an even and balanced tension for the wire at all times irrespective of the weight of the wire spoolor roll, and the pull on the wire will be no more-than is required for a small spool or roll. This tensioning means and reel will eliminate the formation of short or imperfect staples, which usually occur when heavy spools or rolls are used for which the machine was not designed. a

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:' V

1. For a wire stitching machine having intermittent action, a rotatable wire supply reel, a brake drum, on said reel for controlling the rotary motion of the reel, a mounting bracket for said reel, a pivoted resilient partially arcuate wire guide'and tension means, for guiding wire thereover and overabove said reel mounting on said bracket to one side of said reel, a brake'band extending around said brake drum for the greater portion of the periphery of the drum, one end of said band fastened to said bracket, means fastening the other end to an intermediate non-bending portion of said uide, said guide having a flexible arcuate resilient portion, and relatively to the latter, a non-resilient portion, said resilient arcuate portion flexing by pull of the wire thereon, sufficient to release a predetermined stitch length of wire without releasing said brake and said entire'guide adapted to pivot to release said brake band on a further predetermined pulling action of said wire in the feeding thereof for free rotation of said drum,

and spring means acting on said non-resilient portion for instantly setting said brake during each action of release of tension on said wire.

2. In an apparatus for paying out wire under tension to a wire stitching machine, a supporting bracket, means on said bracket to support a reel of wire, a wire guiding and tensioning resilient strap member having a substantially straight portion and an arcuate flexible free end portion, wire guide means on the exterior of said free end portion for guiding wire thereover, 'means pivotally securing one end of 'saidresilient member a to said bracket, the wire from said reel normally passing over said free end and biasing said strap member under'tension towards said reel, a brake drum associated with said reel, a brake band extending about said drum and fixedly secured at one end to said bracket, means securing the V other end of said band with said strap member at a point intermediate the pivot and the free end of said strap whereby said brake is released when said strap member is fully tensioned, and spring means biasing said strap member for pivotal movement away from said drum against the tension of said wire, said arcuate portion being free to flex and permit feeding of a predetermined length of wire under tension to said machine prior to the release of said brake and said spring means permitting release of said brake upon a further predetermined pull of said Wire.

3. In an apparatus to be used with a Wire stitching machine for paying out wire under tension, a supporting bracket, a stud carried thereby, a wire reel rotatable on said stud, a brake drum secured to said reel and coaxial therewith, a block extending in a direction tangential to, but spaced from, the periphery of said drum, pivot means extending parallel to the axis of said drum securing an end of said block to said bracket, but offset from said axis of said drum, a brake band extending about a substantial portion of the periphery of said drum, means securing one end of said band to said bracket closely adjacent the periphery of said drum, means securing the other end of said band to said block at a point spaced from said pivot toward said axis, spring means normally biasing said block for pivotal movement in a direction away from said drum, and a wire tensioning arcuate resilient strap member secured to and comprising an elongation of said block and in alignment with the reel to receive wire from the latter, the wire from said reel extending longitudinally over said strap and exerting a coefficient of force against the maximum curvature of said strap and bowing the same towards said drum and holding said block against the bias of said spring means, whereby upon breakage of said wire the release of tension will, through the combined whip action of said strap member and said spring means instantly tighten said strap about said drum to stop rotation of said reel. ARNOLD F. FISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 908,255 Hardman Dec. 29, 1908 1,031,487 Taylor July 2, 1912 1,462,604 Lavalle July 24, 1923 2,254,255 Zeruneith Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 39,847 France Dec. 22, 1931 (Addition to 707,291)

300,460 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1928 567,196 Great Britain Feb. 1, 1945 576,994 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1946 602,370 Germany Sept. 7, 1934 

